Customer Reviews

Rabbit Habits

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I became aware of Man Man just over a year ago, instantly falling in love with their previous two albums. One of the great things about this group is despite their experimental nature, their music is catchy in such a way that more conventional listeners can appreciate it as well. So far, "Rabbit Habits" is the epitome of this-- opting out of some of the crash-bang noise found on the first two records, in favor of songs that are more in the realm of "Van Helsing Boom Box" and "Gold Teeth" from their older recordings. However, I wouldn't say Man Man has strayed away from their energetic berserker style that lured me toward their work in the first place. Personal favorites include: Top Drawer, Poor Jackie, Easy Eats, Harpoon Fever...

With this effort, the members of Man Man experiment further with utterly bizarre music composition and performance. It seems as though their line-up descriptions always accurately sum up the sound of their work (take, for example, the vocal depictions "stab throat," "glow worm throat," and "cougar throat"). One might imagine that this couldn't possibly leave an audience in the dark, as they already know what to expect.

...But one should never assume what Man Man has to offer.

That being said, this release is a bit more accessible than Six Demon Bag. I loved SDB, but generally for the "catchier" tunes like "Black Mission Goggles" and "Push the Eagle's Stomach." Rabbit Habits takes the style of these songs and utilizes it in such a way that the whole album is interesting from beginning to end.

For the moment, the band has done away with excessively goofy music ("Engrish Bwudd," anyone?) and has created something to truly be proud of.

Man Man's latest album can accurately be described as "circus music for regular people", employing a wide range of instruments like piano, keyboard, xylophone, trumpet, horns, saxophone, guitar, bass, drums, bells and melodica. Man Man also use unusual things like trash cans, wrenches, and bottle rockets to get interesting sounds for their music.

The songs sound reminiscent of tunes from Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and Tom Waits, but without aping these artists. Although nearly every song is a standout, some listeners can be turned off by the lengths of the last two tracks. Don't be one of those people; these are possibly the two best songs on the entire album. What are you waiting for? Give it a listen!

This album is just amazing. As of the time of this writing, every review is 5 stars. (hint!)

It sounds like a roomful of unbelievably talented circus musicians and prison inmates got thrown into a big spinning carnival ride and made an album as the lumbering machine spun them into a frenzy.

Every song is just structured insanity, taking you along for the most exhilarating sonic ride you've ever been on.

It is CATCHY as hell, and yet still crazy enough to scare the old folks.

I would recommend this to a deaf person.

like the circus if all the performers were drunk and were also talented musicians with witty and truthful lyrics to spew forth like glitter and peanuts that make all the children smile.

They are getting better with each album. This album is a slightly different direction than "Six Demon Bag" but there are great surprises on "Rabbit Habits". Experimental sounds are layered on each track but do not distract from the beauty of the song. A truly unique and challenging group.

Man Man is one of those bands that continue to surprise you. After I heard their first album, The Man In a Blue Turban With a Face, I was blown away. I was convinced that there was no way that they could recreate it, and then along comes Six Demon Bag. I can safely say that Rabbit Habits is Man Man's best effort. In fact, by comparison this album makes their previous efforts seem slightly lacking. I highly recommend this album to fans of the band, and people who like good, different music.

This album is absolutely terrific. Missing is some of the weirdness that made "Six Demon Bag" so appealing, however this is more than compensated for by the strength of all of the tracks. Man Man crafts music as interesting as any released in the last 50 years.

Man Man is one of the freakin' best bands on the scene. This album almost embodies one of their live shows, which is to say, it is merely awesome. Buy this album and let Man Man pillage the village between your ears.